Assad believs Trump is a puppet

In this photo released Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, speaks with French journalists in Damascus, Syria. Assad said in remarks published on Monday that he was prepared "to negotiate everything" at talks set to begin in later this month in Kazakhstan, seeking to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces' recapture of Aleppo last month. Assad also defended his troops' deadly bombardment of eastern Aleppo. (SANA via AP))

Syrian President Bashar Assad believes that the inhabitant of White House plays the assigned to him role, and is not independent, the policy pursued by Donald Trump illustrates this observation. This statement Assad made during an interview with Indian journalists in Damascus, extracts from which were published by the Syrian authorities.

According to Assad, Trump does not make important decisions. “Trump swallowed most of his campaign promises and took a course 180 degrees opposite for what he promised,” the Syrian leader said.

Regarding the situation at home, Assad considers it has improved significantly compared to previous years. “Despite the fact that the West and its regional supporters continue to assist the gangs, the worst is behind us. (…) Gangs of terrorist groups are retreating, the territory they control is decreasing, ” he added.

“That’s why it is unrealistic and a complete waste of time to make an assessment of the American president’s foreign policy, for he might say something; but he ultimately does what these institutions dictate to him. This is not new. This has been ongoing American policy for decades.”